Paris: A former assistant of Riad Salameh, the governor of Lebanon's central bank and the target of domestic and international judicial inquiries, was charged with money laundering by France on Friday.
In connection with an investigation into Salameh's wealth, France, Germany, and Luxembourg seized assets worth $130 million (120 million euros) in March 2022.
Salameh is charged with accumulating a fortune over the course of about three decades in the position. He was once hailed as the protector of Lebanon's financial stability, but now he is increasingly held responsible for the financial collapse of the nation.
Also Read: Hun Sen of Cambodia begins his campaign for a largely uncontested election
Many claim that he was a part of the crisis' onset. Salameh's mandate expires in July. According to a judicial source, Marianne Hoayek, 43, was questioned and put under investigation for criminal conspiracy and money laundering on Friday in Paris.
Marianne Hoayek disputes these claims and plans to show that her late father, a successful businessman, donated the majority of these funds, according to Mario Stasi, her attorney.
Salameh, 72, insists that he did nothing wrong and that he made his fortune while working for Merrill Lynch in the US before taking over as governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon in 1993.
Also Read: In separate raids near the Afghan border, Pakistani security forces kill six militants
Salameh was the target of Interpol Red Notices after French and German judicial authorities issued arrest warrants for him in connection with allegations of money laundering and fraud in Munich, Germany.
An Interpol Red Notice requests that individuals be held indefinitely in anticipation of potential extradition or other legal action, but it is not an international arrest warrant.
In addition to interviewing Salameh in Beirut, European investigators also heard from Hoayek, Raja, Salameh's brother, and central bank audit companies.
Also Read: EU opposes Sweden's burning of the Qur'an
Although Lebanon does not extradite its citizens, if local judges find Salameh's charges to be true, he may face trial there, according to a previous official.
A local judge questioned Salameh in response to the Red Notices, took away his French and Lebanese passports, barred him from travelling, and released him pending an investigation